Monthly Archives: October 2014

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two-night-stand-posterI love the characters and the way the story takes place over the course of two nights. You can really feel the time passing in real time and their relationship seems to form organically. The conversations feel real and the filmmakers are unafraid to be frank and mature when discussing sex, which is refreshing for the genre. Unfortunately the ending tries too hard to tie everything up with a pretty bow in the most conventional of rom-com styles, going against its off-beat style that was so perfectly set up to that point. The film still made me smile and was a fun watch, despite its unearned ending.

3 Stars (out of 5)

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men-women-children-posterI have enjoyed Jason Reitman's earlier films, but this one feels incomplete, or at least unbalanced. The narration (by the wonderful Emma Thompson) is completely unnecessary and always feels out of place. I can see that they're trying to tie together all of the ensemble storylines but it comes off as sloppy. The acting is fine and I like how they show the on-screen communications over the actors. It's a nice way to avoid always displaying close-ups of screens, similar to how House of Cards displays text messages. Oftentimes this film reminds me of Disconnect from two years ago, another movie about people trying to connect in a digital world. Both these films feature too many characters to really delve into one story fully. Maybe it's because we're already well aware of the dangers of cyberspace and the films offer nothing new, but these movies are like The Net from the nineties, they will be forgotten quickly as technology evolves at a rapid pace, leaving them dated and hard to relate to.

2.5 Stars (out of 5)

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Ghostbusters_3_posterI remember a time when reboots were relegated to remaking older films, usually originally shot in black and white, for a new generation. It's true that many people these days cannot stand to watch a black and white film, which is somewhat sad but a reality. We're used to shiny new grain-less spectacles of technology, and that's fine. I can even understand remaking a film that didn't get its fair shake; trying again with a new angle, director, or cast. Ocean's 11 is a good example of a well-deserved remake. It was a decent story that was retold with a new cast for a new generation.

But now... Now Hollywood has caught up with itself. Now we're rebooting franchises and films that happened a few years ago. (Looking at you Spiderman.) We're remaking eighties films like they were made in the thirties. As if no one has ever seen Carrie before. And it's not just that we're remaking Carrie for a new audience, and doing it justice like Ocean's 11, but we're making a sub-par lame version of Carrie that doesn't even deserve the namesake. Why? ...continue reading →

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P1010584Construction has gone vertical at Project 340 in Islands of Adventure. The steel structure is already several stories tall and can be seen all the way from the highway. Rumors around the web are saying when completed the facade for this attraction will reach 100 feet tall. Universal is not showing any signs of slowing down with their recent additions to the parks. They're certainly not afraid to go big when it comes to new ride technologies and hyper-themed lands.

In addition to the new construction photos below, I wanted to also post some interesting news and juicy rumors about this possible King Kong attraction. Even though the internet has been talking about this project for nearly a year now, there has still been no official word from Universal. I wouldn't expect an official announcement from them until after Halloween Horror Nights is over, so as not to take any of its spotlight away. With the construction now rising above the walls it's going to be harder to keep people from asking what exactly is coming. News, Rumors, and construction photos below!

Wall that keeps us safe from the beasts of Skull Island. Is this what they're building?
Wall that keeps us safe from the beasts of Skull Island. Is this what they're building?

...continue reading →

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Gone_Girl_Movie_PosterThis film kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat for its entire running time. It never felt long and it was always interesting. David Fincher directs the shit out of it, as usual, and the screenplay by the original novelist is fantastic as well. Technically the film is magnificent in every way and stunningly beautiful, even when it's trying be bland. The acting from everyone is spot-on, as is usually the case in a Fincher film, and the casting seems perfect. The story uses false narratives and misdirection to weave a plot that meanders in the best of ways, keeping you on your toes and well entertained. The score is a good mix of unsettlingly comfortable happiness and psychotic chaotic madness, much like the situations it plays over. I can never get enough Fincher. I wonder if he's going to be sticking to works based on novels from here on out? I'm certainly not opposed, and I'm loving the mystery genre when helmed by this genius.

4 Stars (out of 5)